When I worked in corporate jobs, I knew exactly what my work entailed and how my days were going to look. I was settled into a comfortable routine that never required me to push too far outside my scope of knowledge.

Even when I was able and willing to ofter insight beyond my job description, those attempts were often regarded as a violation of someone else's safe space; often met with dismissive remarks and "do-not-worry's."

Big systems require you to stay within the confines of your realm. The Marketing team shouldn't be giving advice to Accounting on how to run the books. New ideas are 'welcome' as long as they don't shatter the perceived notion of control in corporate hierarchies. To succeed, you simply have to play your part. Being average or slightly above that was a good thing.

As a millennial who questioned the system, I never fit that mold. I could never go BEYOND without being shut down or limited. Thus, I never felt like I could truly grow.

Big systems require you to stay within the confines of your realm.

The rules of the game changed completely when I started Straight Fwd Co. in May 2015. I had no idea how to run a business, put together a pitch deck, lead client meetings, or build a professional network. Yet, there was no one to tell me I couldn't or shouldn't. There wasn't a department structure, a workflow or a rule book I had to follow.

I learned by doing, by trying, by showing up and being brave, by believing in myself, by asking for guidance, by reverse engineering, by failing and getting back up. And nearly two years later, I'm still learning every day, but I have grown through all my previous lessons.

There is only one way to get better...

Acknowledge your own weak points, identify your obstacles, then work every day to overcome them. BE BRAVE!

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Straight Fwd Co.™ is a visual storytelling agency, specializing in social media marketing, content strategy, email marketing, creative design and brand consulting. We are the Truth Talkers™ who believed that a good story goes a long way.